section 92A

Lobbyists on both sides have offered only guarded criticism of Simon Power’s reworked version of the controversial anti-pirate clause.

Some say due process isn't enough, and want account termination taken off the table altogether. Copyright holders are lobbying for it to stay. But in constrast to the highly-charged tone of arguments over the original clause, the renewed debate is mostly moderate, and constructive. An emotive stand-off has been defused.

NZFact, representing the major Hollywood studios, has warned the New Zealand government not to follow France, where a court recently struck down a copyright law provision that allowed infringers to have their internet accounts cut off.

Yesterday the lobby group, whose members include Walt Disney Studios, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, Universal Films and Warner Bros., said it supported the French President Nicholas Sarkozy’s decision or reintroduce copyright legislation to the French parliament.

Stepping into local political debate for the first time, the search giant makes a submission on the draft ISP code of practice – and it doesn’t hold back, citing a rash of bogus copyright claims it has received in the US.

Natcom has launched a $59.95/month service that lets a company block staff from accessing specific websites. The company says relying on inhouse IT staff to track users, to comply with S92, would be like "letting the rabbits guard the lettuce”.